battle of darkness
by lil quiet person
Summary: This is a challenge about a young she-cat who is unsure whether or not to accept a tom's offer as mates. And meanwhile, ShadowClan is getting restless... Rated T just in case. Oneshot. This is my first story so please rate.


**A/N: this is my very first fanfic. It's a challenge for SweetClan: **_**"if you love someone, tell them, because the heart is often broken by words left unspoken."**_

Falconbreeze opened her eyes and saw sunlight streaming through the branches of her den. Realizing it must be around sunhigh , she stretched and climbed out of her nest. She looked around the camp and saw the deputy, Tigerstripe, assigning patrols. She ran up and joined the small crowd that surrounded him.

"Falconbreeze!" he purred when he saw her. "How's our newest warrior doing?"

"Great!' she replied, smiling sweetly. "I'm ready for my first patrol as a warrior!"

"Are you sure your fine?" her mother, Shadepatch, pressed. "Last night was freezing, almost as cold as leaf-bare and you were sitting vigil!"

_I know I was sitting vigil_, Falconbreeze thought tartly. _You don't have to remind me. _The dark warrior had reason to be worried, though. The night had been bitterly cold, a sign that leaf-bare would be here soon.

Aloud, Falconbreeze meowed, "I'm fine, Mother. Don't worry."

"Ashstorm!" Tigerstripe called. "Take Bronzewhisker, Falconbreeze and Mistpaw to the ShadowClan border. Make sure they aren't up to their old tricks."

_My first patrol as a warrior_, she thought, purring.

Ashstorm waved her tail for her patrol to follow her. Falconbreeze skidded up to the senior warrior and waited for the rest of the patrol to gather. Bronzewhisker also ran up, and Falconbreeze found herself starring at him. His golden fur gleamed in the sun like he had just groomed it and his emerald green eyes sparkled. Falconbreeze could see his muscles ripple beneath his pelt as he bounded up. A paw nudged her side. It was Mistpaw.

"You like him don't you?" Mistpaw whispered.

"Don't be ridiculous," Falconbreeze hissed back. "He's just a Clanmate"

Part of her winced when she said that. _You do like him! You are a warrior now, it's alright! You can go ask him the question! _The other part of her disagreed. _He's older than you and what makes you think he'll notice you?_

_ Be honest, you liar!_

_ I am! He'll never even look at you!_

_ Shut up! _Falconbreeze told the debate in her head. _I _don't _even like him!_

The voices stopped.

"Hi, Falconbreeze. I'm glad your finally a warrior," Bronzewhisker meowed warmly.

"Yeah. You're so lucky," Mistpaw meowed in an awed voice.

"Good job, Falconbreeze, but enough with the chit-chat and let's go on this patrol," Ashstorm snapped.

Ashstorm led the way, fur fluffed up against the cold. The foursome raced through the trees, Falconbreeze trailing behind. The trees thinned out and she hared ahead, leaving her Clanmates a few paces behind. She felt her paws spring across the turf and the wind in her ears. She glanced back at the other cats and slowed down until she was walking. She stopped at the border.

"You're really fast," Bronzewhisker commented admiringly.

"As fast a WindClan cat!" panted Mistpaw. With her shorter legs, she had the most difficulty keeping up.

"Let's split into pairs to check the border faster," Ashstorm meowed. "Falconbreeze and Bronzewhisker, you go that way." Ashstorm pointed to the right with her nose. "Mistpaw and I will go to the left."

Falconbreeze spun around and set off to the right. She sniffed the border and left her scent. She looked to her side and to her surprise Bronzewhisker wasn't there. She looked behind her and saw him still sniffing the border.

"I-I thought I smelled ShadowClan scent here, but I guess not," he muttered.

"It's okay," Falconbreeze purred.

The two cats patrolled for some time in silence. Falconbreeze listened to Bronzewhisker's breath as they walked. Finally, the end of the border was in sight. Falconbreeze was exhausted from her vigil and wanted nothing more than to crawl into her nest.

Bronzewhisker suddenly stopped and turned to face Falconbreeze with a serious look in his eyes. Her heart crawled into her throat, assuming he scented ShadowClan.

"Falconbreeze," he whisperd. "may I ask you a question?"

"You just did," she purred, but then more seriously added, "Of course. Ask away."

"Will you be my mate?" he asked gently.

Falconbreeze stareed at him, uncomprehending. She had just been made a warrior, for StarClan's sake! She hadn't even fought in a real battle yet. She was sure she wasn't old enough to have a mate. _But he likes me! _The thought pounded in her brain. _He likes me, he likes me, he likes me! _She would never be able to focus with this knowledge. _I just don't know! _she wanted to wail. _What if he isn't as nice as I think he is? _Falconbreeze snapped back to the present to find Bronzewhisker staring at her, head cocked, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know!" she wailed and ran into the forest.

Falconbreeze found herself back in the camp, winded from her run. She slunk into the warriors den and closed her eyes, thinking about Bronzewhisker. His fur, his eyes, the way his whiskers twitched when she saw something funny.

_You really do love him_, said the voice in her head.

_I agree. And he loves you back_, said the other voice.

_Then I should go tell him I love him at once! _Falconbreeze thought, but the voices stopped her.

_No, sleep fist_, they said. _Right now you need to sleep._

And so she did.

OoOoOoOoO

Falconbreeze woke up to the sound of Bronzewhisker's voice. Screaming. In panic.

"Daisystar, Daisystar!" Falconbreeze heard him call. "There's ShadowClan scent in our territory!"

"Where?" Daisystar demanded.

"By the border, near the Owl Nest Tree!"

"Tigerstripe!" Daisystar commanded. "Take Goosefoot, Halfstripe, Mallowleaf, Rockfang, Fallconbreeze and Bronzewhisker to investigate!"

Falconbreeze leaped to her paws when she heard her name called for the patrol and followed Tigerstripe as he ran through the forest where she had been patrolling not long ago. Even with the prospect of battle, her mind wandered. She imagined Bronzewhisker's face when she would tell him she wanted to be his mate. He would give her that smile she loved and—Falconbreeze nearly collided with Tigerstripe's hindquarters as he stopped abruptly.

"I see them," he hissed.

Fiercestar, the leader of ShadowClan, stepped forward. "This land is ours now," he hissed and leaped forward, claws unsheathed.

Falconbreeze staggered backward as two ShadowClan toms lunged at her. She raked her claws over the fist tom's muzzle, but the second tom clouted her heavily on the head. She fell down, rolled over and stumbled to her paws, but the second tom just clawed her flank. She whipped around to attack him, but he had moved behind her, where the fist tom was biting her tail. Falconbreeze wailed and tried to break free, but the second tom had her pinned down.

Falconbreeze glanced around the battlefield and to her horror, ShadowClan seemed to be winning. Tigerstripe had many claw marks down his sides, but her still fought like a TigerClan warrior. Rockfang was pinned down and getting a beating by three apprentices and Halfstripe was waving his claws wildly, hoping to scar an enemy. It was clear ShadowClan outnumbered them. To Falconbreeze's relief, Bronzewhisker was still fighting strongly, beating warrior after warrior.

Pain snapped her back to the present. The two ShadowClan warriors were still viciously attacking her, their paws red with her blood. Falconbreeze tucked her head in; terrified they could kill her in a heartbeat. The first tom angrily clawed her belly and she heard herself cry out again.

"ThunderClan, to me!"

Falconbreeze whipped her head around in shock and she saw Daisystar standing proudly with a second patrol behind him. The leader leaped into battle, clawing warrior after warrior and the second patrol followed his lead. ShadowClan cats howled in shock as they were sent running back across the border.

"ShadowClan, retreat!"

Falconbreeze went limp with relief when Fiercestar ran back, calling his Clan to follow him. _We did it! We won!_

"Your Clan might have won, but you have lost," the second Shadowclan warrior hissed in her ear and he slashed his claws across her throat. Falconbreeze cried out and fell to the ground, while the two ShadowClan cats fled. Falconbreeze saw paws approach her and she recognized the golden feet of Bronzewhisker.

"Falconbreeze? Falconbreeze?! What happened? Oh, Falconbreeze please get up, I don't know what I'll do if you don't!"

_Oh, Bronzewhisker, I'm so sorry. If only I had the strength to tell you how I feel about you. I should have told you earlier what I wanted to say, that I do want to be your mate, that I do love you. Now you think that I don't love you and I'm so sorry for breaking your heart. I'll watch over you when I'm in StarClan, but I'll miss you._

Falconbreeze took a rattling breath and her eyes closed for the last time.


End file.
